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Coronavirus has Upstate textile company working to keep up with high demand for medical products

CEO says Phenix Engineered Textiles is one of few companies in country that make the elastic ear-loop bands for face masks

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Updated: 11:20 PM EST Mar 6, 2020

Coronavirus has Upstate textile company working to keep up with high demand for medical products

CEO says Phenix Engineered Textiles is one of few companies in country that make the elastic ear-loop bands for face masks

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Updated: 11:20 PM EST Mar 6, 2020

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NUMBERS ARE GOING TO GO UP. >> THE CDC SAYS BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK UP TO FOUR MILLION TESTS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES. >> AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE ARE NO CONFIRMED CASES OF THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS IN THE PALMETTO STATE BUT AN UPSTATE COMPANY IS SEEING AN INCREASE IN DEMAND BECAUSE OF THE VIRUS. WORKERS AT PHENIX ENGINEERED TEXTILES IN LANDRUM ARE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK. THE COMPANY MAKES ELASTIC BANDS FOR IN-FACE MASKS. ONE OF THE FEW COMPANIES IN THE COUNTRY THAT MAKE THIS PRODUCT. THE COMPANY HAS BEEN RUNNING THEIR EQUIPMENT 24/7 OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND. >> WHEN YOU ADD SHIFTS AND ASK PEOPLE TO WORK AROUND THE CLOCK AND ON WEEKENDS PEOPLE GET TIRED. WE’VE ADDED STAFF. YOU JUST HAVE GOT TO GO THE EXTRA MILE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THEM. IT’S TOUGH ON T

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Coronavirus has Upstate textile company working to keep up with high demand for medical products

CEO says Phenix Engineered Textiles is one of few companies in country that make the elastic ear-loop bands for face masks

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Updated: 11:20 PM EST Mar 6, 2020

There are no days off at Phenix Engineered Textiles.CEO Rod Grandy said some of its products are in high demand because of the coronavirus. "We're running 24/7,” he said. “We've gone from five-day shifts to seven days a week now."The textile company, based in Spartanburg County, manufactures specialty braided and knitted medical products. Grandy said it is one of the few companies in the country that make the elastic ear-loop bands for face masks.Over the last few weeks, production for these elastic bands has doubled."We went from making about a million yards a week of the braided material of our medical products to about 1.9 million yards a week," Grandy said.Grandy added there was already growth over the last year for these products. In January, demand spiked dramatically. He said volume has gone up to 50% for his customers.Grandy said the company had extra equipment available to help with the demand. It hired dozens of new employees, as well. According to Grandy, the increased production has put a strain on the company."When you add shifts and ask people to work around the clock and on weekends, people get tired. You just gotta go the extra mile to let people know how much we appreciate them. It's tough on them," he said.Grandy said regardless, his employees understand how important these products are to helping stop the spread of this disease."I think everyone is proud they are able to help," he said.Grandy said the company will be ordering more machines to keep up with the demand. He said his buyers say demand will continue to increase for a while.According to health officials, these face masks are not effective in preventing the general public from catching the coronavirus but health care providers can give them to sick patients to prevent the spread of the disease.Anyone with questions about COVID-19 can call the Department of Health and Environmental Control hotline at 855-472-3432. The department said staffers are answering calls from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

Landrum, SC (WIS) —

There are no days off at Phenix Engineered Textiles.

CEO Rod Grandy said some of its products are in high demand because of the coronavirus. "We're running 24/7,” he said. “We've gone from five-day shifts to seven days a week now."

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The textile company, based in Spartanburg County, manufactures specialty braided and knitted medical products. Grandy said it is one of the few companies in the country that make the elastic ear-loop bands for face masks.

Over the last few weeks, production for these elastic bands has doubled.

"We went from making about a million yards a week of the braided material of our medical products to about 1.9 million yards a week," Grandy said.

Grandy added there was already growth over the last year for these products. In January, demand spiked dramatically. He said volume has gone up to 50% for his customers.

Grandy said the company had extra equipment available to help with the demand. It hired dozens of new employees, as well. According to Grandy, the increased production has put a strain on the company.

"When you add shifts and ask people to work around the clock and on weekends, people get tired. You just gotta go the extra mile to let people know how much we appreciate them. It's tough on them," he said.

Grandy said regardless, his employees understand how important these products are to helping stop the spread of this disease.

"I think everyone is proud they are able to help," he said.

Grandy said the company will be ordering more machines to keep up with the demand. He said his buyers say demand will continue to increase for a while.

According to health officials, these face masks are not effective in preventing the general public from catching the coronavirus but health care providers can give them to sick patients to prevent the spread of the disease.

Anyone with questions about COVID-19 can call the Department of Health and Environmental Control hotline at 855-472-3432. The department said staffers are answering calls from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.